Safety attachment for cottonseed linters



Nov. 11, 1930. P. HONEYCUTT SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR COTTON SEED LINTERS Filed NOV. 22, 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1930 PATENT OFFICE PAUL HONEYCUTT, OF MOOBESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA SAFETY,ATT'ACHMENT FOR fIOTTON SEED LINTERS Application filed November 22, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for use in connection with cotton linter machines. In the operation of a cotton linter machine, the saw cylinder is required to be removed and the saws sharpened on a. saw gumming machine. several times a week, and if care is not exercised the workman is liable to be seriously injured especially when an attempt is made to perform this task while the saw cylinder is still rotating. Prior to removing the saw cylinder it is customary to elevate the linter breast and therefore the present invention contem plates the provision of a means which will operateautomatically prior to elevation of the linter breast, to shift the drive shaft belt of the linter from the fixed to the loose pulley and apply a brake to the fixed pulley so as to immediately arrest the rotative movement of the saw cylinder shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety device for this purpose which may be readily installed on any ordinary linter machine on the front of the linter breast, and which will operate with certainty if the workman, in grasping the hand grip of the breast adjusting lever, will remember to at the same time, grip the hand grip of a lever constituting a part of the present invention, and which lever when rocked effects automatic shifting of the drive belt and application of a brake'to the fixed belt of the said cylinder shaft, so that the invention contemplates a safety device which will be automatically rendered operative at the time the breast actuating lever is shifted, and does not depend upon the operation of some means remote from this lever.

Another object of the invention is to so 49 construct the safety device of the invention,

that when the breast adjusting lever is returned tonormal position, the gear shifting means and brake means, will, at the same time, be restored to normal position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard which will assume a position in front of the breast, so long as the saw of the linter is operating, and which may be moved out of such position when the opera? tion of the saw is stopped,the guard pre- Serial No. 409,131.

venting the workman accidentally catching his hands in the saws.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in. detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the device embodying the invention installed upon acotton linter machine.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the mechanism provided for shifting the drive belt of the machine.

Figure 4 is a group perspective view illustrating two parts of the belt shifting and brake controlling means of the device embodying the invention.

in the drawing the numeral 1 indicates a saw cylinder drive shaft upon which is mounted a fixed pulley, indicated by the numeral 2, around which the usual drive belt 3 may be trained, so as to impart rotary motion to the saw cylinder. A stub shaft 4 is mounted in a head 5 at the upper end of a standard 6, constituting a. part of the frame of the linter, and this shaft is in alignment with the shaft 1 and the loose pulley 7 is freely rotatably mounted thereon so that the belt may be shifted from the fixed pulley to the loose pulley and vice versa. The numeral 8 indicates a belt shifting lever which is fixed at its lower end upon one end of a shaft 9 mounted in bearings 10, upon the base of the frame, and this lever is provided at its upper end with a yoke 11 to straddle the belt 3, it being understood that when oscillatory motion is imparted to the shaft 9 in one direction, the lever will be swung so as to shift the belt from one pulley to the other pulley, depending upon the direction of rotation or oscillation of thesaid shaft 9, and the manner in which this lever is automatically actuated will presently be described.

The lever for adjusting the breast of the linter is indicated by the numeral 12 and is mounted at that end of the frame structure of the machine opposite the end at which the pulleys are located, and this lever is formed or fixed at one end of a rod 13, which is mounted for oscillation and also for sliding movement, in bearings 14 mounted upon spaced uprights 15 constituting a. part of the frame structure.

Upon one end of'the shaft, namely that end which is located next adjacent the fixed pulley 2 there is loosely mounted acircular flat sided head 16, whichis formed with an arcuate slot 17 located near its periphery and terminating at one'end in a substantially cir cular opening-18, whichis of a diameter greater than the width of the slot. Fixed upon the shaft 13 is a collar 19 provided with a short upstanding arm20 and this slot, is, of course, concentric to the axis of rotation of r the said head 16. The arm 20 is provided in its'outer end with an opening,indicated by the numeral 21, and a rod 22, which isslidably mounted in suit-able bearings 23 fixed upon'the shaft 13 in spaced relation 'toeach other, is provided with an ei'ilargement at its end which is next adjacent the power receiving end of the mechanism, which enlargemeat is indicated by the numeral 24 and is 26:21nd'thcne1tends longitudinally as at of a diameter to fit slidably through the open- 111. 21 of the arm 20, and engage at its end o u in the opening 18 at the end of the arcuate slot 1'? Beyond the enlargement 24, the rod 22 is Xtended, as indicated by the numeral e for short c istance, so that when the portion 2 of'the rod 22 is shifted. to the left as shown in Figure 1, it may engage in the arcu ate slot 17 in the head 16. From the pertion25, the rod is bent at right, angles as at 2. and at its end is provided with a lifting head 28,,wliich is designed to ride beneath the beveledro'uter end 29 of a latch 30, which is pivotally mounted as at 31 upon the belt shifting arm 8, the: latch: being provided in its under side h-arecess 32 adapting it to have locking; engagement with a fixed part of the frame upright 6, a tension spring 38- is connected at one end: to the belt sh fting arm 8, and at its other. end to, the adjacen frame upright 15; and a compression spring 34is mounted upon the rodand bears at one end against one of-the bearings 28,. and at-its other end let acollar 35 which; is longitudinally adjustable upon the rod 22, and held in its positions of adjustment by means ofa set crew 36-, o

Extending at right angles from that end of-the'shaft Slopposite t-he end-uponiwhieh the belt. s 3

ifting; lever 8 is arranged is an arm whieh 1S pzrotally connected, at its outer end between: the lbWQT'SIldSiOfJ the side members 38 of a yoke 39, a short rod 40 being fitted slidably through an opening in the bight of the yoke and provided at its lower end with a head 41, and a compression spring 42 being fitted upon the lower end of the stem and bearing against the said bight of the yoke and against the said head 41. A yoke 43 is pivoted the upper end of therod 40 and straddles and is pivoted to thehead 16, as indicated by the numeral 44.

A spring 45is connected one end as at 46 to'the head 16 near the periphery thereof and adjacent the opening 18' therein, and at its other end toithe lower end of a lever arm 47 pivoted upon a stub shaft 48 upon the uprights 15, a brake shoe 49 being connected with the pivoted end of this arm, so that when the arm is rocked toward the left, the brake shoe 49 will be brought into contact with the fixed pulley 2 to arrest rotative movement of this pulley and the saw cylinder shaft 1 upon which the pulley is fixed.

The rod 22 is slidably adjustable through the medium ofa lever 50 to which thatend of the rod which is opposite the end carrying the abutment 28, is pivoted, and this lever is pivotally mounted as indicated by handle end 52 is adapted to swing toward and away from thehandle end of the lever 12in shifting the rod 22, the lever 50'being also movable bodily with the lever 12 in the swinging movement of the lever to rotate the shaft 13 and the wheel 16 g v p r The means heretofore referred to, which is arranged in position in front ofthebreast, and which will prevent the workmanaccidentally catching his hands in the saws, comprises a rod 54 which is mounted in suitable bearings 55 upon the frame of the machine, and above the horizontal plane oc-' cupied by the shaft 13 and the rod 22, andthis rod 54 is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending slender guard members 56 and, normally the said guard mem bers will hang, by gravity, in a vertical plane in front of the saw cylinder. 7 t one end the rod 54 is provided With a right angularly downwardly extending arm indicated by the. numeral. 57 and this arm, as will be observed'by reference to Figure 2, depends with itslowerend in close proximity to the periphery of the disk 16, and an. abutment finger 58 is provided upon the periphery of. the said disk and located, in

the position of the disk shown in Figure 2, in such position as to prevent any forward or outward swinging of the arm 57 with the result that the guard structure will be held against swinging movement from its active position, while the saw cylinder is rotating. However, when the enlarged portion 2% of the rod 22 is disengaged from the opening 18 in the disk 16 and the disk permitted to rotate to efifect actuation of the belt shift lever 8 to shift the belt from the drive pulley to the idle pulley, the finger 58 will no longer interfere with outward swinging of the arm 57, therefore the arm may be swung so as to permit the axis of the saws being gained, in fact the said guard comprising the guard 24 and the guard members 56 may at such time'be swung to an elevated position.

IV hat I claim is 1. In a cotton linter, the combination with the saw cylinder drive shaft, a fixed and a loose pulley thereon, a lever for adjusting the breast of the linter, and a belt shifting lever for shifting the drive belt from one to the other of said pulleys, a disk rotatable with the rocking movement of the breast adjusting lever, having an opening therein, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement upon and relatively close to the breast ad justing lever, a rod slidably mounted and pivotally connected to the second mentioned lever, the rod having a portion engageable in said opening, and means urging the rod in the direction of the disk whereby to be engageable at its said portion in the opening in the disk, whereby to hold the head against rotation, and operative connection between the disk and the belt shifting lever for effecting movement of the lever to shift the belt upon the rotation of the disk, whereby, when the hand grips of the first and second mentioned levers are both grasped, and both levers are swung in unison, the said portion of the said rod will be disengaged from the said opening and the disk will be permitted to rotate to effect coaction of the lever to shift the belt to release the pulley.

2. In a cotton linter, the combination with the saw cylinder drive shaft, a fixed and a loose pulley thereon, a lever for adjusting the breast of the linter, and a belt shifting lever for shifting the drive belt from one to the other of said pulleys, a disk rotatable with the rocking movement of the breast adjusting lever, and having an opening therein, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement upon and relatively close to the breast adjusting lever, a rod slidably mounted and pivotally connected to the second mentioned lever, the rod having a portion engageable in said opening, and means urging the rod in the direction of the disk whereby to be engageable in the said portion in the opening in the disk and whereby to hold the head against rotation, and operative connection between the disk and the belt shif ing lever for efiecting movement of the lever to shift the belt, upon the rotation of the disk, whereby, when the hand grips of the first and second mentioned levers are both grasped, and both levers are swung in unison, the said portion of the said rod will be disengaged from the said opening and the disk will be permitted to rotate to efiiect coaction of the lever to shift the belt to release the pulley, a brake shoe mounted in juxtaposition to the fixed pulley, and an operative connection between the said brake shoe and the disk for efiecting movement of the brake shoe into engagement with the fixed pulley upon rotation of the disk.

3. In a cotton linter, the combination with the saw cylinder drive shaft, a fixed and a loose pulley thereon, a lever for adjusting the breast of the linter, and a belt shifting lever for shifting the drive belt from one to the other of said pulleys, a disk rotatable with the rocking movement of the breast adjusting lever, having an opening therein, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement upon and relatively close to the breast adjusting lever, a rod slidably mounted and pivotally connected to the second mentioned lever, the rod having a portion engageable in said opening, and means urging the rod in the direction of the disk whereby to be engageable at the said portion in the opening in the disk, whereby to hold the head against rotation, and operative connection between the disk and the belt shifting lever for eflecting movement of the lever to shift the belt upon the rotation of the disk, whereby, when the hand grips of the first and sec ond mentioned levers are both grasped, and

both levers are swung in unison, the said portion of the said rod will be disengaged from the said opening and the disk will be permitted to rotate to effect coaction of the lever to shift the belt to release the pulley, a brake shoe mounted in juxtaposition to the fixed pulley, and an operative resilient connection between the said brake shoe and the disk for effecting movement of the brake shoe into engagement with the fixed pulley upon rotation of the disk.

4:. In a cotton linter, the combination with the saw cylinder drive shaft, a fixed and a loose pulley thereon, the lever for operating the breast of the linter, and the shaft upon which the lever is fixed, of a belt shifting lever mounted for swinging movement to shift the belt from one to the other of said pulleys, a member rotatably mounted upon said shaft, operative connection between-the said member and the belt shifting lever for actuating the latter to shift the belt to the loose pulley when the member is rotated in one direction, a rod mounted for sliding movement adjacent the last mentioned shaft and engaging, in one position of its movement, with said member to restrain the same from rotation, and alever mounted upon the first mentioned lever and having its hand-grip located in juxtaposition to the hand grip of the first mentioned lever Whereby, upon grasping both grips, the second mentioned lever will be rocked to disengage the rod from the rotary member to release the same, and means urging the rotary memher to position toeifect actuation of the belt shifting lever.

5. In a cotton linter, the combination with the saw cylinder drive shaft, a fixed and a loose pulley thereon, the lever for operating the breast of the linter, and the shaft upon which the lever is fixed, of a belt shifting lever mounted for swinging movement to shift the belt from one to the other of said pulleys, a member rotatably mounted upon said shaft, operative connection between the said 'member and the belt shifting lever for actuating: the latter to shift the belt to the loose pulley when the member is rotated in one direction, a rod mounted for sliding movement adjacent the last mentioned shaft and engaging, in one position of its movement, with said member to restrain the same from rotation, and a lever mounted upon the first mentioned lever and having its hand-grip located in juxtaposition to the hand grip of the first mentioned lever whereby, upon grasping both grips, the second mentlonedl lever will be rocked to disengage thevrod from the rotary member to release the same, means urging the rotary member to position toeffect actuation of the belt shifting lever, a guard for the saw cylinder comprising a rod mounted for rotation in front of said cylinder, guard members extending downwardly from the rod at intervals in the lengththereof, an arm extending downwardly from one end of the rod, an abutment member upon the said rotary member to prevent movement of thearmto rotatethe-rod to elevate the guard members out, of active position, rotation of the rotary member to. position to effect actuation of thebelt" shifting lever serving to move'the abutment element out of active position with respect to the said; arm upon therod, wherebyc the. guardmay be removed to inactive position by an upward swinging of the said arm.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

PAUL HONEYGUTT; 

